20 COMMONWEALTH STANDARDS NETWORK


PROVIDING IN-COUNTRY SUPPORT T


wenty in-country stakeholder workshops are being delivered to increase the visibility of international


standards and explain how they facilitate trade and support the private sector in developing economies to maximize their export potential. Four sessions have taken place so far, in Ghana, Kenya, Guyana and Malawi. Similar sessions have taken place for Commonwealth members attending Pan American Standards Commission meetings (COPANT) in Colombia, and ISO’s Committee on Consumer Policy (COPOLCO) meetings in Zambia, although these are not Commonwealth countries.


Ten in-country national standards body (NSB) training sessions are also being delivered to support international trade through the development of NSB standardization strategies. These sessions also encourage participation in international standards development and adoption of international standards. Four have taken place so far, in Ghana, Kenya, Guyana and Malawi. Five Commonwealth countries are


receiving focused ‘Technical Assistance’ to build skills necessary to support domestic standards development, use international standards effectively for trade, and be


programme focuses on providing standards- related technical assistance to St Lucia and improving the standardization practices, certification skills and marketing and communication of the St Lucia Bureau of Standards (SLBS).


empowered to take an active role in standards development. The Technical Assistance programme is divided into three regional workstreams—Africa, Caribbean and Oceania. The Africa technical assistance programme


focuses on providing standards-related technical assistance to two countries – Uganda and Zambia (see Case Study page 21). The Caribbean technical assistance


Participants in a CSN workshop and training session in Nairobi, Kenya line up for a group picture


“Ten in-country NSB training sessions are being delivered to support international trade through the development of NSB standardization strategies”


The Oceania technical assistance


programme is to contribute to the removal of technical barriers to trade between Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and their trading partners (particularly other Commonwealth member states and the UK) to ensure the free movement of goods.


CONTENTS


CONTACT THE TEAM


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